Role of vitamin D

Vitamin D in its natural form is present in very few foods. For example, every cup of cow’s milk produced in the United States has been fortified with 100 IU of vitamin D since 1930. Food manufacturers are fortifying their products, such as cereal, yogurt, and orange juice, so that people can fill the gap in their nutrient intake.

In other cases, vitamin D is combined with a beverage or food that contains calcium. This is because vitamin D plays an essential role in absorbing calcium from the intestine, which helps build solid teeth and bones.

When combined with calcium, vitamin D can help prevent osteoporosis in seniors. If you are deficient in vitamin D, your bones become brittle and at high risk of fracture. Reports from studies show that over 40 million adults in the United States are at risk of developing osteoporosis.

What foods contain Vitamin D?

It’s important to know that you can’t get all the vitamin D you need from food.

I believe an excellent maintenance amount of vitamin D is 10,000IU. 10,000IU is not toxic, and there are specific reasons why you need that much. This article discussed how much vitamin D you need for optimal health.

I want to discuss the different foods that contain vitamin D, the quantity of vitamin D each of these foods has, and how much of that specific food you would need to consume daily to achieve a good maintenance level of vitamin D (10,000IU).

· 3 oz. mackerel — 1006 IU — 10 servings

· 3 oz. wild-caught salmon — 988 IU — 10 servings

· 1 cup white mushrooms — 732 IU — 14 cups

· 3 oz. trout — 6451 IU — 15 servings

· 3 oz. farmed salmon — 570 IU — 18 servings

· 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil — 448 IU — 22 teaspoons

· A can of canned tuna — 268 IU — 28 servings

· 3.5 oz. herring — 216 IU — 46 servings

· A cup of yogurt — 154 IU — 65 cups.

· 3 oz. beef liver — 42 IU — 238 servings

· An egg yolk — 37 IU — 270 eggs

While consuming these foods, you shouldn’t rely on them for vitamin D as it can be difficult. Instead, it would be best to get your vitamin D from the sun. You need to get a moderate amount of sun every day, but you do not want to burn your skin.

In the winter months, you may need a vitamin D supplement. But, if you take a vitamin D supplement, you need vitamin K2 as well. So, for every 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D3, consider taking 100 micrograms of vitamin K2.

How much vitamin D do you take?